Door elevating construction



Feb. 21, 1933. T. MADLAND DOOR ELEVATING CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-SheetFiled May 23, 1931 Feb, 21, 1933. 'r. MADLAND DOOR ELEVATING-CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 23, 1951 QT X Patented Feb. 21,1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE- THORVALID MADLAND, or cmoneo,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO oAMEL COMPANY, or

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORIEORAT'ION or ILLINOIS DOOR ELEVATINGCONSTRUCTIFON Application filed May' 23;

This invention relates to door elevating construction. 7

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, eflective andeconomical elevating construction forcar doors. 7

A further object is the provision of door elevating construction whichmay be assembled into a unit and subsequently applied to a door.

lVith these and other objects, which will:

become more apparent as the description proceeds, this inventioncomprises the novel construction and combinations hereinafter describedand more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a partial elevation of a cardoor to which the elevating construction of'the invention is applied,the door being in its normal or lowered position.

Figure 2 is a view simllar to Figure 1,

door being shown in elevated position.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on 11ne 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 55 of Figure 1. V

Figure 6 is an elevational detail of a roller housing.

Figure housing shown in Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings there 7 is d1sclosed a car door 10 formed inthe present illustration of wood and provided with customary metallicbinding members 11 and 12 and gusset plates 13 and 14; At the bottomedge of the door there is preferably secured an angle member 15 which,in the positlon of the door shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, isadapted to seat upon and have frictional engagement with a supportingtrack 16 secured to a side sill (not shown) by means of brackets 17shown partiallyin Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings; 7 a

To permit sliding movement of the door it is necessary to elevate thedoor above the track For the accomplishment of this purpose there isprovided a plate member 18 which may advantageously be a pressingand 7is a top plan view of the roller 1931. Serial No; 539,539.

vided with recesses 23 and 24. Seated in each of these recesses is'abracket member 25 extending preferably flush with the'inner side ofthedoor andprovided with attaching flanges'26, 27 and 28 overlapping theouterside of the door.- In the form of the bracket illustrated a backingplate 29 is utilized in order to establish the flush relationshipbetween said bracket and the inner side of the door. 7 It is to beunderstood, however, that an integral casting may be utilized in placeof the separate plate members shown constituting these brackets. Each ofthe brackets is provided with an opening 30 adapted to function as abearing member. i

The outwardly pressed portions 20 and 21 of the plate member 18 arepositioned oppositely from the bracket members 25. Each of the outwardlypressed portions is provided with an opening 31 aligned with the open 1ings 30 providedinthe brackets 25 and constituting, a bearing portion.The bracket members and theoutwardly offset portions 20 and 21 of theplate member 18 constitute in effect housings in which .roller supports32 are adapted to be received. vEach of these supports constitutespreferably a (hollow member comprising thesidewalls 33 and 341,

- end walls 35 and 36 and atop wall 37. It

will be observed from Figure 30f the drawings that the bottom of saidhollow roller supporting member is open inorder to permit projection ofa roller'therethrou'gh. EX- tending from the side walls 33 and 34 ofsaid [supporting member is a plurality of trunnions 38 and 39 adapted tobe journaled in the bearings 30 and 31 provided in the brack et 25 andin the outwardly pressed portions 20 and 21 of the plate member. Thetrunnion39 providedon thewalll33 jo'fthesupportmember is extendedthrough'the out- I wardly pressed portionofthe plate, mem

her and provided on its end with a rectanguwhich a pin or axle 43 isadapted to be received and upon which a roller 1 1 is rotatably mountedin engagement with the supporting track 16. The wall 34: of the sup portmember is additionally prov ded w thv a lug 45. It is ol'served that thetrunnrons 38 and 39 of each of the support'memb'ers 32 are positioned ineccentric relation upon said support members and,further, that the pinemployed in mounting the rollers in said. support members is oiisetrelative to sa d A bar' lG is mounted upon the trunnions. A lugs as onsaid support members and constrains said members for simultaneousmovement. 'lheselugs, furthermore, havetheir outer ends positioned inslots 4'? provided in the outwardly pressed portions 20 and 21 of theplate member and by this construction.

the connecting bar 46 is maintained in proper position and the forwardextension of the 25 elevating construction relative to the door isdecreased. An operating lever 18 is secured upon one of rectangularportions 40' provided on the trunnion 39 of the supporting member. Thislever is restricted in its movement by means of an arcuate member 49secured to the door, the lever for this purpose being provided with arearwardly spaced finger 50 which overlaps one side of the arcuatemember 49. it is noted that the connecting bar 16 is seated within andprotectedby the outwardly offset elongated portion 22 formed in theplate member 18. The plate member, additionally, has a pair of trackengaging members 51 secured thereto in order to preventdisplacement ofthe lower part of the door relative to the track. "The track engagingmembers of course are provided with openings in alignment with theopenings formed in the portions 20 and 21' of the plate in order topermit the extension of the trunnions 39 therethrough. v

In the elevating'movement of the door the lever 48 is grasped and pulleddownwardly. During this downward movement of. the

lever it is clearthat the rollers 44 will be forced tightly against thesupporting track 16 and will serve as-fulcrums about which the doorwill'be elevated. Thereupon the door may be moved toward oien or closedpositions. The support members 32, during the elevating movement "s ill,of course,'have si multaneousmovement because of the connectionestablishedbetween them by means of the projections 15 and theconnecting bar 1 46. 7 When thelever is release'dthe door willautomatically, y its Own weight, again seat itself in frictionalengagement wlth the track. It is manifest from the relationship of theunit which subsequently may be readily applied to the door.

It is to be understood that this invention is not limited by thestructural details set forth. It is intended to include all suchmodifications and. changes as are comprehended in the claims appendedhereto.

1 claim:

1. combination, a sliding door, a track adapted to frictionally supportsaid door in its lowered position and'means for elevating said doorforsliding movement comprising a plurality of supports provided witheccentrictrunnions journaled to said door, a roller rotatably mounted ineach of said supports inoffset relationship to said trunnions inengagement with said track and an operating lever secured to one of saidsupports in offset relationto the axis of rotation of the roller, saidsupports being connected for simultaneous movement. I a

' '2. In combination, a sliding door, a track adapted to 'frictionallysupport said door in its lowered position and means for elevating saiddoor for sliding movement comprising a plurality of supportsprovided-with eccentrictrunnionsjournaled to said door, a rollerrotatably mounted in each of said supports in offset-relationship tosaid trunnions in engagement with-said track and an operating lever, oneof said trunnions being extended to provide a hub to which said lever issecured; said supports being connected for simultaneous movement. I

In combination, a sliding door, a'track adapted to frictionally supportsaid door in its lowered position and means for elevating 'saiddoor forsliding movement comprising a plurality of supports providedwitheccentrio trunnions Journaled to said door, a roll er rotatably mountedin each of said supports in offset relationship to said trunnions inengagement with said track and an operatinglever secured to one of saidsupports in ofi'set relation to the axis of rotation of the roller, eachof said supports being provided with a lug and a barconnecting saidlugs.

4. Incombina'tioma sliding door, a track adapted to frictionally supportsaid door in itslowered position and means for elevating said door forsliding movement-comprising aplurality of supports provided witheccentrlc trunnions ourn'aled to said door, a

roller rotatably mounted in each of said'suph ports inofl'setrelationship'to said trunnions for engagement with sa1d track and an op-'erating lever secured to one of said supports, ,each'of' said supportsbeing provided with alug, a bar connecting said lugs and a plate securedto said door and providedwith an o'flset' portion adapted to receivesaid bar,

said plate being slotted and said lugs extend ing into saidslots.elements of the door elevating construction that these elements may beassembled'intoa 5' In {combinatioma sliding door, a track adapted to.frictionally: support said door in its normal position, a plurality ofroller'supports having eccentric trunnions journaled in bearingsprovided on said door, aroller rotatably carried by each of saidsupports for engagement With the track, the aXis of rotation of each ofsaid rollers being offset relative to said trunnions, means foroperating one of said supports to elevate said door and means connectingsaid supports for simultaneous movement.

' 6. In combination, a sliding door, provided with a plurality of spacedrecesses at the lower margin thereof, a bracket positioned in each ofsaid recesses flush with the inner side of said door having securingflanges overlapping said door and a bearing, a plate member secured tosaid door and spanning said recesses, said plate member having bearingsin alignment with the bearings in said brackets, roller supports havinggeccentrically positioned trunnions, journaled "in said bearings,rollers mounted in said fsupports upon an axis offset from saidtrunnions, means connecting said supports for simultaneous movement andmeans for op- ;erating one of said supports. 7. A unit door elevatingconstruction comprising, in combination, a plate member -,provided withofi'set portions, a plurality of spaced brackets secured to said platemember opposite said ofiset portions, roller supports havingeccentrically positioned trunnions journaled in bearings provided insaid respective brackets and offset portions of the plate member, aroller carried by each of said supports in ofiset relation to saidtrunnions, said plate member having an elongated offset portionconnecting said first mentioned ofi-set portions, a bar seated in saidelongated oifset portion and connecting said roller supports forsimultaneous operation and an operating lever secured to one of saidsupports.

8. unit door elevating construction com prising in combination a platemember provided Withofi'set portions, a plurality of spaced bracketssecured to said plate mem-v ber opposite said oilset portions, rollersupports having 'eccentrically positioned trunnions journaled inbearings provided in said respectve brackets and offset portions of theplate member, a roller carried by eachof said supports in ofi'setrelation to said trunnions, a bar connecting said roller supports .forsimultaneous operation and an operating lever secured to one of saidsupports.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th day of May, 1931.

THORVALD MADLAND.

